Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, JULY 8, 1918. A WAY TO INCREASE PRODUCTION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 163, 8 July 1918, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, JULY 8, 1918. A WAY TO INCREASE PRODUCTION

Saturday we summarised tho salient features in an, address delivered at the National Efficiency BcArd Conference of the 'Canterbury Militry Disitrict, by the agricultural advisor (Mr J. Burbury). The remarks doßi'!b referred chiefly to the importance of production, but as stated, his address ha® the title of "Making rilrm .Lif & Attractive.** As Nearly . snbVvti, it_ is essential jit th& interest of the Empire, ftrrd >if New Zealand ■particularly, that be increased to the utmost limit. But how is this desirable BiVH to be brought about? Ml' BUWitiry's remarks wave riatur&Uy coitnned' to proposals that would have an altnost. immediate effect, hut before sunrni"arising his speech it may be well to take a wider -view. Smaller holdings are one of the first essential®, and with in certain limits, the Government is undoubtedly working oil rigfht liiies 'ill cutting up private states and rims ' — the .policy of the Government As explained by the Hon. D. Guthrie, (Minister for Lands, the other day. But of even greater importance than this is the bringing into profit, (immense areas of uncultivated unproauctive land. Particularly is this.so in regard to the settlement ,of soldiers on the land. The last thing .intended is to send the soldier hack io "carve out a home in the bush," and face all the hardships of pioneer farming while others enjoy the more comfort-able positions. "What we mean- is that the Government should spend some of the money now devoted to buying land already obcupied and productive to_ a certain extent at any rate, in making suitable farms itn unoccupied land- ■ Let it road it. bridge it, fence it, and, in fact, construct a model farming area with all the necessary conveniences that follow closer settlement. By this means not only would the forcing up of land values be avoidted,—*tihev should' be brought down, —but thie (productive area of the country would be increased, and this, of course, is vitally important in view of ithe war debt that remain for years after peace is declared. The soldiers 'and' other settlers could be given remunerative employment in ithe general wonk of the settlement area if their farms were not ready to absorb the whole of their labours. Conjointly, afforestation could be ducted, and this one side line alone would, in years Ito come largely repay the cost of settlements, besides being important from a national point, of view. The latest scientific methods would be employed, and logs, would not be left to rot for years, preventing full use of the land 1 . These would be hauled up by tractors and utilised, for roads and railways would be ajt- jhand. We are too much inclined to istitik tio the old methods of 'settlement. In days gone by there wasno chance of doing niuch besides getting the la-rid clear so that lit wouji produce something. But to-day, -■*" with a properly thought-out scheme, "Jt-here should be no waste, either of tfrne, _or timber ©hi the laud. The difficulties in regard to such a scheme are mainly" politic il. Hi ere would not be immediate return and the (politician in facing the electors would not have satisfactory figures to put before if .he people. . Opponents would make the- most of it, and; tho people, "unless they gave the matter full consideration, which, unfortunately. is very rarely the -case, would ! be led astray. Here we have one of the drawbacks of party government. It is, however, not the system that is to blame. But, as stated above, political opponents with ani apathetic public, are given an opportunity of taking advantage of it. But supposing we have statesmen with vision and a public similarly gifted, what- a great improvement could be effected by these means 7 Settlers could 1 be placed on land' at a reasonable cost. There would be inducements for many 1 city dwellers to take up holdings of their own iaTid become primary- producers-. Meanwhile 'a stiff graduated land tax would tend to bring other 'estates into the market, and' the many new farm's available would greatly decrease the inflated land values.